The Quest
by Jackie W
Summary: This is her quest.. to follow that star... no matter how hopeless... no matter how far. (SJ) COMPLETE!
1. Author's Notes

Title: "The Quest" 

Author: Jackie W.

Email:

Rating: PG-13

Classification: Angst/Action/Romance Season: Season 8, Post Affinity

Spoilers: Anything up through Affinity.

Summary: This is her quest, to follow that star ... No matter how hopeless, no matter how far ...

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment, not monetary purposes, and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Author's Notes: The opening paragraph of this fic came to me a few months ago and I had no idea what to do with it. Then a couple of weeks ago Muse started humming a tune. And suddenly I had Sam out on a quest.

Now that the fic is down on paper does anybody have any ideas on how to get the darn song out my head? Muse is now singing it at the top of her lungs.

I think she's channeling Robert Goulet.

For those kiddies out there, he's a stage and film star who brilliantly performed the roles of Don Quixote in 'Man of La Manchia' AND Lancelot in 'Camelot' on Broadway. He thus holds the honor of having sung two of the most beautiful show tunes of all time, 'The Quest' and 'If Ever I Would Leave You', and I can't ever hear them without thinking of his wonderful renditions, even though others have done fantastic versions too.

Darn it! Now Muse is trying to figure out a plot for 'If Ever I Would Leave You'. As if we don't already have enough stories started!

Hope you enjoy the fic, and if the song gets stuck in your head, blame Muse!!!

Jackie W.


	2. To fight for the right without question ...

Title: "The Quest"

Author: Jackie W.

Email:

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And I know if I'll only be true, to this glorious quest, That my heart will lie peaceful and calm, when I'm laid to my rest ...

The Quest (The Impossible Dream)  
Lyrics by Joe Darion Man of La Mancha (Don Quixote) Soundtrack Lyrics

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PART 1 - To fight for the right, without question or pause ...

He disappeared on a Tuesday from P3R-788 during the final stages of a treaty negotiation. SG2 had made the original contact with the Margilese, and SG9 had spent a month living among them. General Jack O'Neill had travelled there for a formal dinner celebrating the treaty signing. Sometime during the evening's events he had vanished.

Several teams revisited the planet during the following weeks, but if the Margilese officials knew anything about the General's whereabouts they were doing a fine job of acting. They were honestly clueless and distraught by the turn of events. The planet was a trading haven they pointed out. There were, at any given time, hundreds of visitors within the capital city doing business. Their best guess was that someone had been laying in wait for the General, and although they attempted to question as many traders as they could, no information had been forthcoming.

Back on Earth, the General's former team members were distraught. They had been off world themselves when O'Neill had vanished and had returned to find Hammond at the base of the ramp with the bad news. Over the next several weeks they had worked every lead that they could. Teal'c put the word out with the rebel Jaffa to be on the lookout, and a chance run-in with a Tok'ra agent by SG4 had hopefully gotten the word spread amoungst their ranks as well. Still there was nothing.

As the weeks went by the three became more and more depressed, and Sam began to feel that if she couldn't get out there and search for herself she was going to go crazy. She spent less and less time at home, and by the end of the month she and Pete were barely speaking. Then the real blow fell.

Hammond was needed back in Washington, so Jack O'Neill was officially listed as MIA and a new General was sent to run the SGC. General Steven Wilkins was the polar opposite of George Hammond, a by the book pencil pusher, who had his own ideas of how the SGC should be run. Ideas that were backed by many of the Joint Chiefs. His first order of business was to break up SG1. Dr. Jackson and Colonel Carter were too valuable to be on a front line team where their lives were in danger constantly, he explained. Within days Teal'c had left, unwilling to take orders from the man and feeling like he had more to offer out fighting with Ishta the rebel Jaffa. Daniel and Sam were limited to missions through the gate where their particular areas of expertise were needed. Daniel didn't mind, but within days Sam was crawling the walls.

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She locked herself in the lab. Her final appeal to General Wilkins to put her back on a team had been met with an order to drop the matter or face disciplanry action. So now it was time for her make some decisions. Within hours she had a plan, but she would need help to pull it off. Quickly she put in a call to Major Griff asking him to stop by and see her.

When she was done explaining what she had planned Frank Griff sat in stunned silence. The plan was just crazy enough that it might work. And even if it didn't, he too felt the need to try something.

"I'm in," he stated and saw her relax.

"Who else can we trust?" Sam asked.

"Harper, Dixon and Reynolds, plus everyone on their teams," Griff repled.

"Are you sure about Reynolds? He's General Wilkins' 2IC after all," Sam questioned.

"Yeah, but he was Jack's 2IC first, and he'll do everything in his power to help including diverting any paperwork on supplies that we wouldn't want Wilkins to see," Griff pointed out.

Sam nodded. That was a good point. And it was better than she expected. With four teams helping she'd have her supplies set in a week.

"Plus we can count on Sgt. Wheeler in supply and Sgt. Morton in the armory. We should be able to request extra of whatever you need and get it to slip through the cracks," Griff offered.

Sam paused for a moment. "If any of you gets into trouble…." She began, only to have Griff cut her off.

"We'll back each other up, and if worst comes to worst we'll tell Wilkins you ordered us. You are a senior officer now," he reminded her.

"That won't help Reynolds," she worried.

"We'll have his six, swear his team wasn't involved because he's the 2IC," Griff supplied with a cheeky grin.

"I won't ever be able to thank you all enough, Frank," Sam told him.

"Just find the man and bring him home. Oh and since you are tendering your resignation in the process of this foolhardy stunt, be sure you remember that there are no regs between you when you find him. We are expecting him to come back very happy," Griff said with a wink.

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And so the first part of the plan was set. SG teams 2, 3, 5 and 13 all took extra supplies with them on each of their next several missions and before dialing back to earth when the mission was complete they would stash the extra supplies in a well hidden spot near the gate. SG2 was also able to pass along a note from Sam to Teal'c asking for his help. He then retrieved the supplies and hid them in a cave on P3R-591. The planet had been one that was considered for the new Alpha site, but because of the harsh winters it was taken off list. But it would be five months until winter set in there, which gave Sam plenty of time to use it as her own personal base of operations.

The second part of the plan was in many ways harder. The first thing she needed to do was break up with Pete. Since they had been virtual strangers for the last six weeks she figured he wouldn't be too surprised. But she debated on what to tell him. She didn't want to hurt him any more than necessary, and telling him she was going after Jack O'Neill because she couldn't live without the man would definitely be cruel. Finally she told Pete that she had been having second thoughts about marriage, and that she had been offered an off-world assignment that was going to last at least six months that was too good to pass up. She handed back his ring, told him she hoped he found someone who wanted all of the same things in life that he wanted, and watched him drive away out of her life. She felt a momentary pang of regret, but she knew now that the two of them would never have lasted and that this was for the best.

Then she wrapped up the rest of the issues being away would cause. She shut up the house, and gave Daniel power of attorney to take care of anything that came up while she was gone. Within ten days from making her decision she was ready to leave.

Of course that was going to be the hard part. She needed to get assigned to a mission off-world. She'd studied the upcoming scientific missions and knew that her only chance was with one that Dr. Lee was leading to study a natural power source on a planet SG5 had found several months ago. SG5 would be accompaning them which was perfect as Majot Harper and his team were in on the plan. Getting Lee to agree was going to tricky though.

She had two options. She could lie, tell him she was going stir crazy and promising to stay out of his way if he allowed her to come along, or she could tell him the truth. Jack O'Neill had saved his butt more than once, so even though he never had liked Sam very much he might do it for the General.

In the end she didn't have any choice in the matter. When she stopped by Dr. Lee's lab he didn't even act surprised to see her.

"You want to go with I suppose," he commented with a superior air.

Sam resisted the urge to slap him upside the head.

"Yes I do," she replied calmly.

"I just need to make sure of one thing," Lee stipulated. "When you rescue the General, make sure he knows I helped. I want him to know I learned not to leave anyone behind."

Sam eyes widened in surprise, and she nodded her assent.

It would seem that a lot of people had learned that lesson from Jack O'Neill.

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As she slipped the envelope containing her resignation to the bottom of the pile sitting in General Wilkins' in-box, Sam felt the first flutter of nerves she'd experianced since coming up with her plan. This was it. In a few minutes she would walk through the gate and cease to be a Lt. Colonel in the USAF. Heck she'd be lucky if they didn't throw the book at her despite her resignation. Realisitically she might never be able to return whether she found Jack or not. She took a deep breath and headed on down to the gateroom.

She was literally holding her breath as the cevrons were locked and didn't release it until Wilkins gave the go ahead. She looked up to the windows above and gave a small wave to Daniel who was watching from the briefing room. She had told him what she was going to do last night, and was surprised when he had just nodded in a knowing way.

"I figured as much when I heard you were going out on the mission. I couldn't imagine Lee asking for you. What did you promise him?" her friend had asked.

"Just that the General would know that he helped when I find him," Sam had said and then smiled at Daniel's shocked expression. "Yeah I know. I was surprised, too. I never thought he would be willing to stick his neck out like that."

"I don't suppose there is any way for me to go with you, is there?" Daniel had asked hopefully.

Sam shook her head. "I need you here Daniel. Be my eyes and ears. Pass along anything pertanent to Teal'c, and he'll be able to get in touch with me," Sam had told him.

Now he waved back and held up crossed fingers to wish her luck. With a nod she turned and left her former life behind without even pausing.

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TBC 


	3. To bear with unbearable sorrow

Title: "The Quest" 

Author: Jackie W.

Email:

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PART 2 - To bear with unbearable sorrow ...

When they arrived at their destination Sam helped to secure the area around the gate and assisted with the unloading of gear from the FRED. Once the group was ready to move out she turned, paused, and pulled something out of her pack, and then moved to the DHD and began to dial out. Instantly Dr. Lee questioned what she was doing.

"I'm not really needed here, Doctor, but there is another mission that requires my attention," she explained.

"I'm afraid we can't let you go Colonel," Major Harper told her raising his gun.

In response Sam simply raised her right hand encased in the ribbon device and activated the personal shield. "I'm afraid you don't have much choice," she told them as she finished dialing and the wormhole formed. "Don't bother following, I'll be planet hopping for the rest of the day."

And then she was gone.

Once the wormhole shutdown Dr. Lee and Major Harper exchanged a small smile before Harper walked over to the DHD and started dialing.

"Lee, get your team organized. I'm going to notify the SGC about this and then we will move out," the Major ordered. Then in a voice only loud enough for his team and Lee to hear he added. "God Speed Colonel."

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She hadn't lied about the planet hopping. Sam visited four other planets before she ended up on P3R-591, including two where she picked up some last minutes supplies left my SG2 and SG3 the day before. When she arrived at her new home away from home she was glad to find Teal'c and Ishta waiting for her.

Suddenly Sam was overwhelmed with the enormity of what she was doing and the stress of the last weeks missing Jack. She rushed into Teal'c's arms and let the strength of the man seep into her. After a few moments she backed away slightly embarrassed. It wasn't that she minded Teal'c seeing the moment of weakness, but she wasn't sure how Ishta would take it. She needn't have worried. The other woman calmly placed a hand on her arm in sympathy, and when Sam looked up into her eyes she saw only understanding. Nodding her thanks Sam took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders, and started to organize the supplies. With the help of the Jaffa couple her new base of operations was set up within hours.

They sat around the campfire that night and Sam outlined her plan. She would be going to Margile to spend time living amoungst the traders as one of them, trying to pick up any information she could.

"What are you going to trade, Colonel Carter?" Ishta inquired, causing Sam to smile for the first time in weeks.

"I found the perfect thing," she told them. "SG9 reported on the types of things being traded from off-world and I noticed that one of the most popular items were children's toys. The Margilese people buy them up quickly."

While she was speaking she had walked over to her stacks of supplies and opened a box. Now she held out the item for their approval. Teal'c, after initially raising his eyebrow in surprise was now sporting a grin matching her own. Ishta merely looked confused.

"It's called a yo-yo," Sam explained, and demonstrated the simple use of the toy. "Once you get good at it you can do tricks," she continued and to her friends' surprise she demonstrated several. "It's one of the General's favorites. Daniel and I were cleaning out his desk several weeks ago and found his. The instant I saw it I knew it was perfect. I went and bought several cases of them and SG13 managed to get them off-world for me."

"I believe this is a solid plan," Teal'c finally stated, and Sam breathed a sigh of relief.

They spent the rest of the evening arranging communications between Daniel, Teal'c and Sam, and catching up on what everyone had been up to in the past weeks. Teal'c nodded his approval when Sam announced that she had broken up with Pete before heading out.

"And you can stop calling me Colonel Carter, Teal'c. General Wilkins should have gotten my resignation by now. Or they've just declared me AWOL. Either way I'm sure I am no longer in the USAF," she sighed.

"The Tauri are losing a fine warrior, Samantha Carter," Teal'c acknowledged sadly. Then with a tilt of his head he added. "It will however make things much easier once you find General O'Neill."

Sam eyes opened wide and she blushed a deep red. After a minute though a small smile played at the corner of her lips.

"Yes it will."

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Back at the SGC General Wilkins looked like he was about to blow a gasket. The news that Lt. Colonel Carter had held SG5 and the scientists on her mission basically at gunpoint and then disappeared through the gate was swiftly followed by his aide handing him Carter's official resignation. Once it was obvious this was planned in advance he was sure she'd had help, but there was no evidence to be found to support his suspicions. He threatened and ordered, but not a single person cracked. Then to top it off he'd had to pick up the red phone and explain to the President that Earth's Stargate expert had taken off for planets unknown.

Well he knew where she was most likely headed. The only question was who to send after her that he could trust. Eventually he decided on Colonel Reynolds, and so it was that SG3 was sent back to Margile to search for Samantha Carter and bring her back to face charges of desertion and theft of USAF property.

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The first two days Sam spent peddling yo-yo's were a study in contrasts. During the day she was busy, and found the time talking to the vendors and demonstrating the toys to the children that would gather around enjoyable. At night she would buy herself a meager dinner and retreat to a small one-room apartment she had found. At that point, no matter how hard she tried to keep her mind on what she planned for the next day, her thoughts would always wander to the man she was trying to save.

His absence had left a huge hole in heart. One so big that she'd been forced to realize that she had no heart left to give to anyone or anything else. It had made breaking up with Pete, giving up the job she used to love and heading out to face the galaxy pretty much on her own an easy decision.

She needed Jack O'Neill at her side to make life worth living.

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SG3 had no intention of actually bringing Samantha Carter back to Earth, so Stan Reynolds was happy that his team was the one going yo find her. Especially since it wasn't hard to locate the ex-Colonel. Although she was barely recognizable, as soon as they had seen a child playing with a yo-yo it had been a simple matter to track down the trader that was selling them. When they did find her, set up in a stall in the busy market place doing a booming business, they were shocked not so much at her appearance (although it was radically different than the proper BDU clad officer they were used to), but by the man she was standing arguing with. Because just minutes before they had tracked her down, another ex-Colonel had followed the same trail of yo-yo's to her.

And now Samantha Carter had her hands full trying to get information from one Harry Maybourne.

Of course he was a lot more cooperative when he suddenly found himself standing in the shadows surrounded by four marines with guns.

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Sam couldn't believe her luck. When she'd come here two days ago she'd known that the SGC would probably think to send a team to try to find her, but she had disguised herself well. Still, to be on the safe side she had sought out one of the children that hung around the gate and given him a yo-yo to keep an eye out for anyone coming through wearing an SGC patch. Young Lars had run up to her early that morning and given her the news, and when prompted with the promise of two more free yo-yo's for his siblings he had pointed her to where SG3 had headed. Sam breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw what team had been sent.

Still she didn't approach them. Let Stan and his guys do some of there own legwork, she thought with a grin. She had kept an eye out for them all day. Maybe that was why the man who approached her just before sundown had been able to surprise her so.

"Well, well, well if it isn't the SGC's star astrophysicist. What in heaven's name are you doing out her in the middle of nowhere in that get-up," he asked.

"Colonel Maybourne! What rock did you climb out from under?" Sam asked.

"Ah ah, Major Carter, I asked first," the ex-Colonel chided.

"It's Colonel Carter. Or it was," she told him with a glare.

"Congratulations. Why was?" he asked.

"This isn't exactly an officially sanctioned mission," she sighed. And then proceeded to give him an update on the General's disappearance. "I don't suppose you know anything about that, do you Maybourne?" she suggested.

"No I don't," he told her. "I only stop by once every three to six months to pick up a shipment of their Purgoe," he explained. "Some of the people I deal with are addicted to the stuff and I use it for trading for other supplies."

"Purgoe? That nasty bitter ale?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. It's got quite a kick," he said with a laugh.

"Maybourne, I swear if I found out you had anything to do with the General's abduction, I'll hunt you down and take you apart limb by limb," Sam warned him.

"You and what army?" the ex-Colonel demanded.

And that was when the Marines showed up.

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The fact that Sam Carter actually had backup wasn't really that much of a surprise to Harry Maybourne. O'Neill was liked and respected, as was Carter and she was smart enough to know she would need help. He played on that intelligence now, telling her the whole truth and trusting her to work out that he could be of assistance.

Which she did. It was obvious Harry knew nothing about the General's abduction, but that he had sources that could come in handy. Deciding that she had no choice but to trust him, she took him up on his offer. It would turn out to be one of the luckiest things that she did over the course of her search. It would be one of Maybourne's more unsavory contacts that would give them a name that would suddenly put all the pieces of the puzzle together.

It would take Harry two days, and SG3 was due to leave when he tracked them all down with news. After catching his breath he told them he had learned of a ship that had been on Margile at the time the General had disappeared and that it was rumored that the pilot of the ship was a bounty hunter.

As soon as Sam heard the pilot's name she knew they had found the General's abductor and her heart dropped into her stomach at the implications.

The rogue pilot/bounty hunter was none other than Aris Boch.

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TBC


	4. No matter how hopeless no matter how far

Title: "The Quest" 

Author: Jackie W.

Email:

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PART 3 – No Matter How Hopeless…. No Matter How Far

SG3 departed for home with the promise to pass along this new info to Daniel. Meanwhile, Sam and Harry spent two more days tracking Aris Boch's movement on Margile. What they found stunned Sam. Boch had arrived two days before General O'Neill and as far as they could tell it was a routine planned stop to pick up supplies. The truly amazing thing was that his ship had remained on Margile for another two weeks.

Two weeks during which time the planet had been crawling with SGC personnel.

"That's probably why he stayed. If he'd left during that time-frame his ship would have come under suspicion," Harry pointed out. "Besides, he conducted some other business while he was here. It would have thrown anyone looking into his activities off the track."

"What other business," Sam asked hopefully.

Harry smiled. "I have a list."

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The initial excitement of finally having a solid lead had worn off a week later. Tracking Aris Boch was like trying to follow a gust of wind. It was made even more difficult by the fact that since he was traveling by ship he could stop at planets without Stargates. Maybourne, to his credit, had been a tremendous help. Having been out trading himself for several years he was able to provide lists of planets that Boch might have gone to after leaving Margile based on the business he had conducted there.

They theorized that he would be heading in the general direction of Ba'al's territory to try to get payment for O'Neill, but Mayboune was betting that he would stop along the way to do further business. There were three planets on the list that SGC teams had been to previously and Sam took these to investigate. Teal'c was trying to get word to any rebel Jaffa in Ba'al's ranks to find out if Boch had contacted him yet.

Their only fear was that Boch would make a deal with another Goa'uld, which would make tracking the General almost impossible. Harry questioned Sam once on how long she would keep searching. Her answer had just confirmed what he'd always suspected.

"I'll never stop looking, Harry," she told him firmly.

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After two weeks of trying to pick up the trail, Sam for the first time was beginning to wonder if she would indeed be looking for Jack O'Neill for the rest of her life. Teal'c had reported in the day before with no real news and she hadn't seen Harry Maybourne for four days. She worried a bit about that. The man knew her base's location and she wondered if he might not trade that information if push came to shove.

For now all she could do was pour over the new intel Daniel had sent on Ba'al. She was dismayed to see how much power he had gained even in the month she'd been gone. He quickly had become almost as powerful as Anubus had been before him.

The next day the gate activated and Sam took up her defensive position in a grove of trees off to the right of the gate. A moment after the event horizon formed a lone figure stepped out and paused, hands held out to show he wasn't pointing a weapon at her.

"Nice of you to finally drop by Harry," she greeted him as she stepped out once the wormhole had shut down behind him.

"Now is that anyway to greet the bearer of good news?" Harry quipped.

"I could use some about now," she acknowledged.

"I know where Aris Boch is," Harry grinned. "And he's not going anywhere anytime soon."

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The bounty hunter had finally gotten on the wrong side of the wrong people. He'd been tossed in jail after being caught out in shady trade deal. Within hours, the two were standing before several councilmen on Sryees asking permission to question the prisoner. Maybourne had paved the way by bringing several items that were in short supply on the planet, and when the council seemed reluctant, Sam offered to go in alone and let Harry stay with them as a show of good faith that they were not there to assist in an escape.

Before she was taken to see the prisoner she turned with one last request.

"I promise not to kill the scoundrel, but if I injure him during questioning I hope I have your forgiveness," she entreated solemnly.

Several of the council chuckled. They couldn't see much danger of that happening, especially since the woman would not be allowed inside the cell.

"Do what you must," they agreed.

During the walk down to the prison cells Sam prepared herself for meeting Aris Boch. When the man saw her outside the bars of the cell he actually smiled.

"Well, well, if it isn't the feisty little Major," he began, only to find himself blasted back against the stone wall of the cell with the air knocked out of him.

As his vision cleared he looked up to see Sam Carter with her right arm raised ready to give him a second blast from the ribbon device attached to her.

"Hey, what was that for?" he protested.

"Wrong answer," she responded hitting him harder this time and knocking him out.

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Sam sat patiently outside of the cell waiting for Aris Boch to regain consciousness. One of the men that had escorted her down originally had scurried off, she assumed to report to the council. When one of the members approached her with several armed guards and Harry in tow she stood and activated the personal shield.

"I'm not a Goa'uld," she assured councilman Jarif.

"And yet you possess their power," he pointed out.

"I was once blended with a Tok'ra symbiote," she explained.

Jarif studied her for a moment. "Do you plan on torturing this man?"

"I'm hoping it doesn't come to that. All I need is an answer to one question," she told him.

"And what would that be Samantha Carter?" Jarif asked.

"She wants to know where I took her boyfriend, General Jack O'Neill," Aris Boch answered from his position in the corner of the cell, earning him a glare from Sam.

"We know you took him to Ba'al," Sam said. "I just need to know the planet you dropped him off on," Sam told the man.

"And then you will leave us alone?" Jarif asked

"I have no intention of hurting anyone other than this sorry excuse for a living sentient being," Sam assured him.

"This General, he is important to you?" Jarif asked curiously.

"He's important to a lot of people. Including the Asgard, the rebel Jaffa and the Tok'ra," Sam declared. "This scumbag abducted him from trade negotiations on Margile because the Goa'uld have a huge price on the General's head."

"Then you shall get your information," Jarif conceded. Turning to the guards he ordered, "Allow her to do whatever it takes to get this man to talk."

For the first time sinceSam Carter had walked up to his cell Aris Boch felt afraid.

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An hour later, armed with the planet designation and quite a bit of intel on the layout, Sam and Harry left Sryees. Sam had thanked them for their cooperation and promised them that if she found the General she would recommend to him that he send a team to their planet for trade negotiations. There had been a piece of good news once she'd gotten Aris Boch to talk. He had left Jack on one of Ba'al's outposts only eight days ago, and Ba'al had not been there at the time, nor had he been expected immediately. The System Lord had left instructions for O'Neill to be put to work in the mines until he arrived. With any luck, they would get to him before Ba'al actually got his hands on him.

Of course Murphy's Law ensured that it would not be that easy.

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TBC


	5. To be willing to march into hell for a h...

Title: "The Quest" 

Author: Jackie W.

Email:

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PART 4 – To be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause

Sam sat near the warmth of the fire listening to Teal'c and Maybourne arguing over strategies for getting past the Jaffa that would surely be guarding the gate on the mining planet Columb where Jack was currently being held. Teal'c had offered a scout ship, but that method had been discarded as time was limited and the ship would take weeks to make the journey. Little did they know that Sam already had a plan.

"Alright, you two. This is what we are going to do," Sam finally silenced them. "I will be going alone to Columb and gathering intel. Then we will plan our attack from that," she stated firmly.

"And how do you plan on getting past the guards Samantha?" Harry asked.

Her actions when questioning Boch had made her go up in estimation, but even a ribbon device wouldn't be enough to keep a squadron of Jaffa from capturing her. Sam stood up, pressed a button on her wrist and disappeared. "Quite simply, Harry."

Teal'c was the first to recover from the shock and realized just what had occurred. "You have gotten Nirrti's cloaking device to work," he correctly concluded.

"Yeah, the guys at area 51 figured out it that it was based on DNA but that you still need to have Naquada in your blood to make it work, so they didn't pursue trying to duplicate it. I managed to persuade them that it might come in handy reprogrammed to work for me," she confessed, reappearing to them.

"Indeed it will," Teal'c stated, thinking for the first time that they might actually have a chance of getting his friend back home again.

"Any other little tricks up your sleeve we should know about?" Harry asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I have a healing device, let's just hope I don't need to use that one," Sam acknowledged. Then looking at Teal'c she dropped her final bombshell. "And I have some of the poison the Tok'ra developed to kill symbiotes. I diluted it down to a spray that will only spread to a small area. Teal'c, if the rebel Jaffa have anyone on that planet it would be really helpful to know."

"They do not," Teal'c informed her. "However there are several of our forces on Ba'al's Mothership, and intel sent back from them indicates that there are also at least two Tok'ra amongst the ranks."

"So if Ba'al has shown up, we may have help there. I'll need the names eventually. But for tomorrow I think I will just do a bit of a scouting mission, see what's up," she told them.

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The next morning Sam activated the personal cloaking device and stepped through the event horizon. On the other side at least a dozen Jaffa were standing pointing their staff weapons at the approximate spot she was standing. Since the ground was littered with dry leaves and twigs that would give away any movement she made, she silently sat down at the base of the steps and waited for the men to turn back to their normal positions. Once they had relaxed a bit she carefully picked her way through the clearing and into the woods.

Once there she was able to move more swiftly and she followed the path that Aris Boch had told her would lead to the main temple and the mines. Unsure where to begin she decided to tag along with a group of Jaffa and try to get an idea of the layout and how the labor force was divided up.

Eight hours later the sun had set and Sam hadn't spotted Jack yet. She was hoping that now that everyone had stopped moving around for the day it would be easier to conduct a grid search of the sleeping quarters and cells. Figuring that Jack might be considered dangerous, she started with the cells. The majority were empty, and the ones that were occupied contained men that caused a shiver to run down Sam's spine. She certainly was glad to be invisible.

She had been quietly picking her way through the nooks and crannies that served as sleeping chambers for several hours when she suddenly heard a ruckus. Instinct made her follow the noise until she came upon a Jaffa who was giving a young boy a hard time. And sure enough there was Jack O'Neill crumpled in the corner, barely conscious but cursing at the man a blue streak. Even as she struggled to see if he was all right she couldn't help but smile.

Then she saw the Jaffa raise his staff weapon in Jack's direction and she swiftly took action, raising her own zat to take down the threat before his weapon had even had a chance to charge. The look of confusion on the General's face was classic and she took a second to just drink in the sight of him before touching the device on her wrist and appearing before him. Before moving over to him she took the time to zat the Jaffa twice more.

"Carter!" Jack exclaimed, then grinned. "Nice timing."

"It's good to see you too sir. Can you walk?" she asked wanting to get away from the corridor they were in before any more Jaffa came by.

"Yeah, just help be up. Stoph, did you get the water you were after?" he asked the young boy.

The boy, still obviously scared and confused simply shook his head in the negative.

"Carter, do you have water he can have. And anything for a fever? His little sister is burning up," Jack explained as she hoisted him to his feet.

She handed Stoph her canteen and told him she would find something in her pack once they were out of sight. Then she took a good look at the man next to her. He was obviously in pain.

"Ribs?" she asked.

He nodded. They had reached a small cubby that Sam could tell he had picked strategically as it gave him a good view in three directions and options for retreating from any trouble. As he slid down using the back wall to aid him she pulled out the healing device and slipped it on.

"You came prepared," he commented.

"I know you well enough to know you wouldn't have gone quietly into the night," she replied.

"Yeah, how in the hell did you find me?" he asked.

"I had help," she shrugged. "Now be quiet and stay still so I can concentrate."

"Yes, ma'am," he complied.

Five minutes later she was done, and this time he got to his feet on his own. "Much better, thanks!"

"You should still take some ibuprofen to help with the stiffness. Now where is this sick girl?" she asked.

It took another half an hour for Sam to use the healing device on the little girl, and once she was better they dosed her up with something for infection and fever. Then Sam made Jack take some of the water and painkillers himself.

"So what's the plan?" Jack asked.

"I need to plot out a good escape route and check in with Teal'c in a few hours. Can you make me a map of where you normally are during the day? And here, put this locator beacon on under your shirt. I redesigned it to boost the signal enough to go through all this naquada. That way I can find you if you get moved," she ordered. "I'll be back well before dawn."

"Carter, we need to get all of these people out of here," Jack told her.

She smiled a wry little smile. "Somehow I knew you were going to say that. I'll do my best, after I get you to safety," she assured him.

He nodded in agreement knowing that in her place he would have insisted on exactly the same thing. And then, just as she was about to turn to leave, she paused and did something that Jack would never forget as long as he lived.

Sam Carter looked him the eyes and then kissed him. Hard. He was just beginning to recover from his shock and return the kiss when she pulled back.

"Don't you go getting yourself killed on me now that I've come this far," she warned him, and then she vanished.

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She crept through the mines, noting every turn and every point that was heavily guarded on her mental map. She planned on taking a slightly different route on her way beck in to see which was better. When she reached the entrance she picked up her pace and flew through the woods to the gate. Teal'c was due to check in any minute now. As she arrived at the clearing she heard the gate activate and saw a group of Jaffa jump to attention and gather around it with their weapons ready. Hoping she was far enough away she began her report.

"Teal'c, come in."

"Samantha Carter, I am here," he responded. "Did you find General O'Neill."

"Affirmative. He's alive and well," Sam reported happily.

"That is good news indeed," Teal'c answered and she could almost feel his relief.

Just then a load rumbling noise began and increased in volume. Despite the darkness Sam instinctively looked up. There was no mistaking that sound.

Crap. She grabbed the radio and shouted into it.

"Teal'c, Ba'al is here."

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TBC


	6. To fight the unbeatable foe

Title: "The Quest" 

Author: Jackie W.

Email:

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PART 5 – To fight ... the unbeatable foe ...

Sam Carter was cursing up a storm. Two freaking hours more and she and the General would have made a clean escape. Instead, she was going to most likely have to walk into Ba'al's Mothership and pluck the man directly out from under the nose of his royal snakeyness. But first she needed to get her backup onto the planet. She drew in a deep breath and silently moved to the middle of the clearing and taking out a small aerosol canister she proceeded to spray while she turned in a big circle.

Within two minutes all of the Jaffa around the gate were dead or dying. Sam verified once more that Teal'c was not bringing through any rebel Jaffa that would be harmed by the residue of the poison and then gave him the go ahead. As the four figures stepped through the gate and looked around she turned off her cloaking device. She quickly greeted Teal'c, Bray'tac, Ishta and Maybourne and pointed them in the direction of the pathway.

"Let's move out. We may still be able to get back to the General before Ba'al's men find him," Sam said.

"Samantha, how long will the area around the gate remain dangerous for anyone with a symbiote?" Ishta inquired as they made their way through the woods.

"Four to six hours," Sam told her.

"Then it would be best if we had the rescue completed by then to insure our ability to easily get back ," Ishta stated practically.

"Indeed it would," Sam replied with determination.

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They paused at the edge of the trees when they reached the mine. Off to the distance in the bright moonlight they could now see the Mothership perched on the top of the pyramid it was using as a landing pad. Sam was just about to turn to the others and suggest that they wait while she entered the mine to find Jack when there was a commotion ahead of them. Sam's heart dropped as she watched an unconscious Jack O'Neill being dragged towards the ship by a squadron of Jaffa.

Giving a couple of quick signals she moved the group along the edge of tree line paralleling the path the Jaffa were taking with the General in tow. Quickly she began to formulate a plan and she halted for a split second to hiss out the basics to Teal'c

"If I can I'm going to ride up in the rings with them and see where they take him. Be ready. As soon as I can I will ring you all up," she ordered even as she was activating her cloaking device. Then she raced on ahead to catch up with the General.

Luck was with her and only two of the Jaffa ringed up with Jack leaving plenty of room for her to tag along. Once inside the ship the Jaffa dragged Jack directly to Ba'al, who was disappointed to find his prize unconscious. He ordered him locked up and brought back to him as soon as he'd woken up. Sam followed then to the cells and then hurried back to the ring room. Moments later her four compatriots had joined her and she was able to further explain her plan.

"I'm using the opportunity to rid the galaxy of this maniac forever. But to do that we will need help. Bray'tac, if you could track down the rebel Jaffa and get them to seek out any Tok'ra on board, I'll need the group of you to wait outside Ba'al's quarters and clear our escape route. Teal'c I want you and Ishta to plant C4 at the Sarcophagus and then go disable the hyperdrive and the glider bay doors so that there is no way for Ba'al to escape or come back from the dead. Set the timer on the C4 for an hour and have a remote so we can blow it at will. You know which crystals to pull to shut down the engines. Harry, you keep this ring room clear at all costs," she quickly commanded. "Zats only if at all possible. I don't want to tip off Ba'al that I'm here until it's too late."

"You are going to take him on by yourself?" Bray'tac asked.

"Yes I am, Sam told them as she pulled out the ribbon device and fit it on her hand, activating the shield momentarily to ensure it was working. "He thinks he has the power of a God? He hasn't seen anything," she warned.

And with that she cloaked herself and headed back to find the General.

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An hour later Jack O'Neill was up and taunting his captors. Several minutes earlier, Sam's radio had clicked twice signaling an update and she had ducked into a storage room. Teal'c had planted the C4 and the timer had 45 minutes remaining on it. He and Ishta had just pulled the crystals to disable the drive and were working on the controls for the bay doors. Bray'tac had rounded up two To'kra and several rebel Jaffa. She ordered them to take positions outside of Ba'al's quarters and wait for the General to be brought in. Then to zat any guards in the hallway outside clearing the beginning of the escape route. Maybourne reported in that all was quiet in the ring room.

Now as the Jaffa led Jack off to be questioned by Ba'al she sent up a silent prayer that everything would go as planned. 'Just this once, please,' she thought as she mentally crossed her fingers. Then she squared her shoulders and prepared herself for the battle that she knew was ahead.

Jack for his part was at least kept from thinking about his upcoming torture by his worry over what had happened to Sam. He hoped she hadn't been captured and that she's had enough sense to leave and go get backup when she saw that Ba'al had arrived. Little did he know that she was following him right into the lion's den.

He couldn't help the small shudder that ran through his body at the sight of the arrogant System Lord, or the sarcastic comments that immediately sprang to his lips to mask the fear.

"Ba'al old buddy ol' pal! What have you been up to? You don't write, and you don't call, I was beginning to think you'd forgotten all about me!" he complained. "But I suppose you've been busy since I killed off that scumbag Anubis. My thank you note for that one must have gotten lost, by the way."

"Silence!" Ba'al ordered and Jack felt a small bit of satisfaction at the annoyed tone even as he was hauled over to the wall that he knew would pin him like an insect to a specimen board.

"So I hope you have come up with some new toys since the last time we met. The knives and acid were getting a bit old," Jack wheezed as the gravity field smashed him flat.

"I'm sorry to say we will have to make do with the old methods," Ba'al stated picking up a knife.

As he let it go Jack prepared himself for the searing pain he knew was to come only to watch in shock as the knife suddenly veered off and then fell to the ground.

"Well that was new," Jack commented.

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Sam had been waiting for the blue flashes out in the hallway she could see from her vantage point to let her know when Ba'al's Jaffa were taken out and he was without backup. By the time she knew it was safe the System Lord was already pointing a knife at Jack and her only option was to kick it out of the air. Then she made her move.

Simultaneously she turned off the cloaking device and raised her right hand to blast Ba'al back against the wall.

"I believe you have something of mine," she complained as she moved forward keeping him pinned by the beam coming from her that only strengthened as she thought of the torture he had been about to inflict on the General once again. "Now you will have to pay for that."

Ba'al made one final effort to raise his own hand against her so she sent a final surge directly at his head and he slumped with finality to the floor. With a shudder she deactivated the weapon and took a couple of shaky steps over to the controls and released the General from the gravity field.

Jack walked over near the body of the System Lord and asked "Is he dead?"

Sam wordlessly took out her zat and fired it two times, then looked at Jack with a question in her eyes. When he answered with a grim nod she fired once more causing the body to disappear. "He is now."

Her knees threatened to give out at that point. The energy she had used to bring down Ba'al on top of using the healing device twice in the last several hours had seriously drained the last of her reserves. And seeing Jack standing safe and sound in front of her after all these weeks was taking an emotional toll. But they weren't safe yet. So she slowly took in a big breath to clear her head, and grabbed Jack's hand.

"We need to get out of here," she said, and then called out to Teal'c that Ba'al was dead and they were coming out.

As they moved into the corridor and headed towards the ring room Sam filled him in on the C4 that had been planted. When they arrived Jack was shocked to see who was waiting for them there but there was no time to comment. Sam ordered the others to stay put while she ringed down and cleared the area, then she activated her cloaking device and was off. The ten waited the ordered three minutes and then followed in three groups.

They were in the woods a good distance from the ship when the C4 blew, and they finally stopped to get their bearings. That was when Jack finally spoke up.

"Would someone like to tell me how Harry got to be in my rescue party?" he demanded with a raised eyebrow.

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Sam couldn't help a small smile. "I'll fill you in on the way to the gate. Harry and Teal'c you are with us," she ordered. Then turning to the Jaffa and Tok'ra she reminded them to stay away from the gate area for at least another four hours. "Those Jaffa that are not interested in joining you will have no choice but to try to gate out of here," she pointed out. "I recommend that you are as persuasive as possible."

Then the four started out towards the gate and Sam recounted for the General how she had met up with Harry Maybourne, and using his contacts they had tracked Aris Boch and made him talk. She never said a word about the mission not being authorized, so when they reached the clearing which was now littered with even more Jaffa bodies, he was surprised to find that Teal'c would be escorting him back.

"I'll wait here for the SGC teams and get them organized helping the people in the mines. Make sure you send a medical team through, Sir," she told him.

Then as the wormhole formed and Teal'c sent his code through, Sam once again shocked him by putting her hand on his arm and turning him towards her.

"I'm so glad to have you back safe and sound, Sir," she told him, and then just like the night before in the mines she kissed him.

Then she did the hardest thing she'd ever done and sent him back home without her.

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She and Harry said their goodbyes minutes later and to Sam's surprise Harry left her a list of trading planets that he regularly visited. "If you can't go home, you are always welcome to join me," he told her.

"Thanks, Harry. For everything," she said giving him a hug. "I might just take you up on that offer."

Then he dialed out and she was alone.

With a sigh she dialed P3R-591and headed back to her base camp, knowing Teal'c or Ishta would make contact in the next several days to let her know what was going on. Once she got there she moved on autopilot to change clothes, get a fire going and make herself something to eat. It wasn't until she was curled up in her sleeping bag that she let reaction set in and the tears started to flow.

Jack O'Neill was alive and well.

And currently just about as far out of reach as he'd ever been.

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TBC


	7. To reach the unreachable star!

Title: "The Quest" 

Author: Jackie W.

Email:

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PART 6 – To reach… the unreachable star!

Brigadier General Jack O'Neill was furious. Four teams had just been sent through the gate to assist in freeing the slave laborers in Ba'al's mine along with a host of medical personnel and a bunch of egg-heads who were going to strip the Mothership clean. All of that was well and good but there were a couple of major problems. One was that he was not being allowed back just yet as he was still undergoing a battery of tests in the infirmary and needed to debrief. The second was that the teams were also supposed to arrest one 'former' Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter and bring her back to face charges of desertion and theft of government property.

He'd been on the phone to Washington twice already and each call had left him more frustrated. At least Hammond was on his side, and agreed to fly back to Colorado Springs to help Jack sort out this mess. In the meantime, General Wilkins was still in charge and he had made it clear that Carter was in a load of trouble even though her 'little stunt' had succeeded.

Before the SG teams moved out Reynolds pulled Jack aside. "Don't worry General. There are a lot of us that have been helping her from this end and we will make sure that she doesn't get brought back. Besides, Carter is not stupid. I'm sure she is long gone already."

Unfortunately, that was another thing that Jack was worried about.

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It was a week before things calmed down on Columb. Jack had gated back after a day at the SGC and taken over command of the operations, verifying for himself that Carter had left, and checking on a few of the slave laborers that he had met during his brief stay there. He found Stoph and his family and was happy to see that the boy's sister Marta was doing much better. Ishta had come and gone several times and it finally occurred to Jack that she might be checking on Carter and giving her updates, so he confronted Teal'c one afternoon.

"You know where she is," he stated confidently.

"Of whom do you speak, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked calmly.

"Carter. You know where Carter is, don't you?" Jack accused now getting frustrated.

"Indeed, I do. However I have taken an oath of loyalty that I will not reveal her location without her permission," Teal'c confessed.

"T' you have to tell me. I need to see her," Jack requested.

"I will pass along a message," Teal'c compromised.

Jack thought about it for a minute. "Tell her I'm royally pissed off at her for throwing her career and her life away on such a foolish mission. Tell her that I'm forever grateful that she did. Tell her that I'm doing everything that I can to fix things so she can come home. Tell her…," Jack trailed off at that point then he looked around and saw that Teal'c had guided him deep into the woods and that there was no one around to overhear them. "Tell her I miss her like crazy. Promise me you'll tell her that."

"There is no need, O'Neill." Teal'c said with a secret smile and with that he walked away even as Jack heard a rustling behind him and Sam appeared out of nowhere.

"I missed you too," she told him. "So I snuck back through the gate with Ishta yesterday."

And then to Jack O'Neill's surprise and delight Sam Carter walked straight into his arms and kissed him so hard that he swore he saw stars.

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Ten minutes later found the two of them seated on ground under a tree, arms still around each other and breathing almost back to normal.

"You know, I thought the first time you kissed me in the mine was pretty amazing, but now I'm thinking you are going to be the death of me before we ever get past first base," Jack finally chuckled. Then seeing that Sam was blushing he added, "Not that I'm complaining mind you, I'm just surprised."

"I've had a lot of time to think while you were missing," Sam explained.

"And lord knows that's always going to lead to trouble," Jack teased. Then sensing that Sam wasn't in the mood for joking around he lost the sarcasm and asked her seriously. "Did you come to any conclusions?"

"Just that I love you and I've been a total idiot for waiting so long to tell you that. And an even bigger fool for thinking I could move on from what I feel for you with Pete," Sam confessed.

Jack was stunned. She loved him? He'd always figured that his feelings for her went a bit deeper than what she felt for him. Oh, he knew she cared for him, but this was something he hadn't allowed himself to fantasize over for at least three years. Suddenly he realized that she was waiting quietly for him to answer that confession.

"I love you too, Sam. I have for a very long time," he told her.

This time it was Jack O'Neill who initiated the kiss, and Sam Carter who was swept into a swirling vortex that left her dizzy. The man was right. They might not survive anything more intense than this, but she was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to find out.

"Teal'c and Ishta are going to the rebel's base later. Why don't you tell SG3 that you are going to go through with them to check on the status there and then are going on to Earth to report in," Sam suggested.

"Why would I want to do that?" he asked before catching on. "Oh." His grin grew really big. "Where are we really going?"

Sam just smiled.

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The plan was for Jack to spend the night at Sam's base and head back to Earth in the morning. However the dawn found them snuggled down under the sleeping bags wrapped in each other's arms and not inclined to move anytime in the near future. It was almost lunchtime before hunger finally forced them up and they got dressed. As they ate, Jack tried to convince Sam to come back with him.

"Come on, I'll make you a steak dinner, accompanied by a nice cold beer. I'll even let you soak for hours in the tub," he cajoled. "Come on Sam. I have a nice comfy bed the two of us could use."

"Jack, if I go back I'll be thrown in the brig. There will be no hot bath, no steak dinner and I definitely won't be sleeping with you anytime soon," Sam pointed out.

Jack thought for a moment. "Well then use the cloaking device to come through and don't tun it off until you get to my house," he suggested.

"That would work if the gateroom wasn't equipped with T.E.R.s that would spot me in an instant. Remember we had them installed to prevent just that type of scenario where someone wanted to sneak through the gate," she reminded him.

"I remember," he said with a sigh. "I just really don't want to go back without you," he admitted.

"I suppose I should just go back and face the music," Sam sighed. "But you have to promise me something. If it all goes to hell in a hand basket you will get me back off-world somehow," she requested.

"I'll have Thor beam you up if need be," he promised.

"All right then, I'll go back," Sam acquiesced. "I should probably pack up some of this stuff to take back with me."

"Just take the valuable stuff, The SGC can send a team through for the rest. And take your time. We can always leave in the morning," Jack suggested hopefully.

"A last night for the condemned?" Sam grimaced.

"No, a last night for me," Jack said. "When we get back, and everything gets straightened out, we may very well end up back in the same chain of command," he reminded her.

"No we won't. As far as I'm concerned my resignation still stands," Sam told him.

"Sam you don't mean that!" Jack exclaimed. "You've worked too hard to give up your commission."

"I do mean it. And you are right, I've worked damn hard and I'm very proud of what I've accomplished. But there are other goals that I have neglected for way too long. Now it's time to turn my attention to them," Sam told him.

"What other goals?" Jack asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Sam looked him in the eye and told him straight out. "I want someone to come home to at night, and I want that someone to be you," she explained. "I want kids. A little boy with brown hair that sticks up no matter what you do and a grin that you just know means mischief. And a little girl, with brown eyes and dark blond hair named Grace who will remind me what that I need to have fun once in a while," she added.

Jack was silent for one long moment then he looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes. "In my head the little girl is always very blond with blue eyes and an annoying habit of trying to get me to help her take the dishwasher apart," he confessed.

For a minute they just grinned at each other like a couple of idiots. Then Jack swept her up into his arms and carried her off to the shelter.

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Their arrival back at the SGC the next day had been met with great fanfare. Sam was stripped of all of her gear and General Wilkins probably would have ordered her to completely strip right there in the gateroom if Hammond and O'Neill hadn't been present. Luckily she had managed to convince Jack that it would be best to leave a few things with Teal'c, and so a quick stop had been made to hand over her ribbon, cloaking and healing devices, along with her personal handgun and knife that had been presents from her father.

The first stop was the infirmary where she was grateful that Dr. Brightman outranked even the General as the doctor had insisted that the SF's wait outside while she performed her examination. She then just as firmly insisted that Sam needed to take a shower before being confined to the brig and would need a hot meal brought to her immediately after being confined.

"Thank you Doctor," Sam said with a smile. "I think I can stand just about anything if I can have a hot shower first."

"Wilkins is an ass and you can tell him I said so. You would be getting a hero's welcome if any of the other officers around here had any say in the matter," the Doctor assured her.

The full debriefing/interrogation was set for 08:00 the next morning so Sam figured she would have plenty of time to sit and think alone in her cell. However a constant stream of visitors kept her busy for most of the day, and it was with a sigh of relief that things quieted down as the day shift ended and she was able to relax a bit with just Jack and Daniel for company. Even Hammond had left saying he had some calls to make. Teal'c wouldn't be arriving until the morning.

As the three of them shared dinner and Sam and Jack filled Daniel in on some of the highlights of their adventures over the last months, their friend began to sense that something was different between the two officers. Well ex-officer he guessed on Sam's part. And that was when it hit him and he froze, fork halfway to his mouth. The fork was dropped back on his plate with a clatter causing Jack to look at him in concern.

"Something wrong Daniel?" he asked.

"Sam's not under your command any more. Even if they didn't accept her resignation, you aren't currently the base commander," Daniel stated excitedly.

"So?" Jack inquired calmly.

"So? SO??? This is what the two of you have been waiting for! No more regs!" Daniel pointed out.

"What makes you think we were waiting for that, Daniel? After all, Sam was engaged when she left," Jack reminded him.

Daniel waved that off as immaterial. "Yeah, but we all knew she wasn't in love with Pete. We were just waiting for her to figure it out," he said. Then turning to Sam he had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. "Sorry, Sam, but it's true."

"That alright Daniel. You were right. I loved Pete, but I wasn't in love with him. I won't make that mistake again," Sam admitted.

"See, Jack? So there is nothing standing in your way!" Daniel practically bounced out of his seat in excitement.

"In my way of doing what, exactly Daniel?" Jack said, as he glanced at Sam and saw that she was enjoying this as much as he was.

The question made Daniel pause but only for a moment. "Oh, I don't know, maybe tell her how you feel about her?" he suggested.

Jack simply raised an eyebrow.

"Oh come on Jack. You've been in love with woman for years. Just tell her!" Daniel finally demanded, then looked at Sam in dismay.

To his surprise Sam was chuckling in amusement. "Yeah, come on Jack. Tell her," she entreated with a grin.

"Oh for heaven's sake! I love you! Ok?" Jack bellowed. But there was a twinkle in his eyes, especially when he heard one of the SF's around the corner snicker and comment "It's about time!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The mood the next morning was surprisingly upbeat. The news of Jack's declaration in the lockup the night before had spread like wildfire, and those that had known them the longest couldn't resist offering their congratulations. Or in the case of Major Griff, sage advice.

"You'd better not screw this up, Jack. Not many guys have a woman that would travel the galaxy and kick alien ass for them. If I were you I'd put a ring on her finger pronto," he suggested when he caught the General in the commissary before the debriefing.

"I plan on it Griff. I just have to make sure Wilkins doesn't manage to lock her up first," Jack pointed out.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. None of us are going to let Sam take the fall for this," Griff hinted.

Before Jack could question what the man meant by that his attention was being taken up by Hammond and Paul Davis who were waving him over to their table. When he turned back, Griff had gone over to join his own team at their table, and Jack was left in the dark for the moment.

Five minutes later whatever Griff had been hinting at was the least of his worries. Hammond and Davis had both heard the rumors as soon as they set foot on the base that morning, and both were giving him hell.

"What were you thinking, Jack?" Hammond wanted to know. "How are we supposed to get the Lt. Colonel's rank restored if she is accused of fraternizing with her CO?"

"I'm not her CO. Even if you refuse to recognize her resignation, which she is determined to go through with by the way, I have not been her CO for weeks. And I don't ever intend to be again," Jack pointed out.

"You'd give up your command?" Davis asked.

"For Sam and 2.5 little Carter-O'Neill's? It sounds like a fair trade to me," Jack told them. "Now if you will excuse me, I promised Sam I'd bring her breakfast before the debrief, and I believe you two have some decisions to make," Jack said as he got up from the table.

On the way out he spotted Griff and once again wondered just what the man was up to.

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He wasn't left in the dark for long. During the long and tense debrief, Jack was amazed as various SG teams, support staff, and even Dr. Lee admitted their parts in the whole rescue plan. Finally after SG3 confessed that they had found Sam when they returned to Margile and had assisted her in getting Maybourne to cooperate instead of arresting her, Jack could keep silent no longer.

"My god Wilkins! You had only been in charge for what, three weeks? How in the world did you manage to inspire an all out mutiny in that short amount of time?" Jack asked in amusement.

"Well, I certainly don't see how we can charge the Lt. Colonel with theft of U.S.A.F. property without charging all of her co-conspirators, and we are not about to do that," Davis commented.

"What about the Lt. Colonel being AWOL?" Wilkins demanded.

"It is my understanding that Dr. Carter wishes for her resignation to stand, and as long as we have a dated, witnessed document requesting resignation, we must honor it," General Hammond pointed out. "Our only hope is to hire her back as a consultant, and pray that no one else makes her an offer she can't refuse."

"Unauthorized use of the Startgate?" Wilkins pressed desperately.

"Dr. Lee requested her on his team, and you approved it," Major Davis reminded him.

After a pause, Hammond jumped in and brought the matter to a close. "So, I would say there are no charges to be filed, and our only concerns are for the future roles that General O'Neill and Dr. Carter are going to play here at the SGC. They are both way too valuable to let go. To that end the President and I will be working on offers that will keep you both here in some capacity," Hammond said. "For now, Jack you are on downtime. I'm sure you are itching to get home after your ordeal." Hammond sympathized.

"I'm thinking a steak this big and a nice cold beer," Jack said gesturing to indicate a nice size slab of meat.

"And Dr. Carter, you're resignation is official. However there is no need to clear out your locker. We have every intention of getting you back in the lab as soon as possible," Hammond informed her.

"Just so long as I have time for a weeklong soak in the tub, and a matching steak and beer, Sir," Sam agreed.

"And fishing, Carter. Don't forget the time to go fishing," Jack said with a grin, causing Sam to blush.

Then to everyone's surprise, including Jack's, Sam turned to Hammond with a huge grin.

"General, I regret to inform you that I will be unavailable to start any new position for several weeks. I have a lot of fishing to catch up on. Almost eight year's worth to be exact."

Daniel practically choked on the coffee he was drinking, and General Hammond's eyebrows reached almost as high as Teal'c's (although the Jaffa was sporting an all-out grin while Hammond restricted himself to a twinkle of amusement in his eyes)

As for Jack… his imagination was running wild. He was madly conjuring up visions of just what all that fishing would entail. Meeting Sam's eyes he realized that she was thinking along the same lines.

Three months ago if someone had told him Sam Carter would be going to his cabin with him to 'fish' he would have laughed in their face.

But sometimes, fate has a funny way of making your most improbable dreams come true.

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The End


End file.
